Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-16

an inquiry would have been undesirabl
and unsettling. Besides, was he not il
the hands of friends W no know all abou
the next world 20
AS Paul sat and listened-the man VIII
| was speaking was born orator-his mine
went back TO a certain plain building
! Whltewashed inside, where the people sa
in narrow pews while man in blacl
coat Numbered and pleaded, threatened
coaXed, and promised, and threatened
again. He remembered how that mar
| looked and how his voice resouuded in the
| building, Some of the congregation had
already experienced religion; these
groaned, sighed and murmured Others
were looking for it with anxious hearts
others only looked on with apathetic faces
as If the thing did not concern them in the
least He remembered how they all
looked, and how he from mis- seat in the
gallery used to gaze into the faces below
and read their thoughts. AS this sailor
we t on, Paul's eyes closed he was again
boy listening to an address for the I'M
converted-it was delivered SO often, and
it converted so few. The arguments were
the same, his memory took HIM back to
the child VINO believed and wondered why
religion was so long in coming to him,
though Bethiah was already converted
and WAS a Church member. Then an un.
expected phrase brought him back to the
Sailors Home. Why, this man was a
preacher, indeed Had the pulpit been
mnst have baen convertad Iony oco ITa
WoNld have become in fact n Church
member. He would then have stayed in
his native town. He would have risen to
the proud position of superintendent of
the Sunday School and Deacon. Or he
Minister and nreached those same thinpt
hin,self Than he would hava marriad
Rethinh Where was Rethieh > And
then he womb have never seen Hettvt
Now. his conversion was impossible II
vould Interfere TOO unnch with his nros-
necte Ua had i'm rarf othar engagements
Panl SIGHED and retnrned to hnsiness
The sneaker went on He chained his
audience He forced rhem IN listen He
told thorn mat he had convarted everv
hand aboard the within Brjic insomnc6
that when tbe men were Maid off not one
If them was fnnnd r. % intn a nnbIic
honse nor would a single one venture TO
RatcIiffe Higbwav aithough we now call
il nv another name And he said he was
going 70 cnnyert them. too. and that right
off and without DELAY. At the prospect of
immediate conversion some of those hon
est fellows looked blank. rememberinp
what would follow-the remuneration,
namely of all those nractices in which
thev nad heen accustomed ia find their
only low Not one m, two. mind Won he.
cans tLa Cburrh of this Gocnellar ic a
very strict Church indeed, and allows no
indnlgencies Mt ali, No more drink
raither beer nor ruIn No more hannv
gatherings with pipe and pewter in snlg
back rooms No more iovial evenings
with grog and ong and Polly of Poplar
and Rosy of Radcliffe. Poor Polly and
Rosy Whittier would they go, What
would they do No more fights; no more
dances no more anything. Oh my coun-
trymea, what n blank was left Others
again looked as if they were tit to sit upon
the stool of repentance. And others, just
as it used TO be i'll the chapel, looked as If
salvation belonged to the others and had
nothing to do with themselves: The
preacher stopped at last, with such a pic
ture of the next world as made one poor
lad burst into a blubber while another
trembled and shook Then he sang a
hymn-his voice was strong as well as
musical-and then he began to 60 round
and to talk to each man in turn, of those
who would listen. Most of them, hAw-
ever, broke away from the circle, which is
always the way, anu only what every
PR acher expects.
lie knelt beside the BOY VINO Wept ana
prayed for him. lie hnelt beside the BOY
VINO tremoled ana prayed TOT MN ne
knelt N the midule OIL the room ana prayed
aloud Tor all, ana lhen, MS service ever,
he stood and looked around him with
anxious eyes, as II ne was sun An uhpro'
htable laborer ana had neglected much.
AT TINS Juucuure Tdul approdChtl MIN
,,1 nave niessase, LOT YOU, ne st,Iu, !
nave you Hnisneu 9oul prayers anu
preaching
"Who are you - the sailor replied. III
you come on what the world calls bust
ness you need not deliver that message
Do not speak to me about money-be'
stow the money where you please.
"l on do not know me. It'll no use tell |
ing you my name. ! come from your Sis
ter, not from your lawyer.
Il have no sister"
Don't talk nonsense: You have a Sis
ter who is blind and helpless. She wants |
to see her brother"
II have neither father nor mother |
brother or sister, or wife. | belong to
Christ alone. My hand Is to the plough |
and ! must not turn aside.
come 10 see your sister lou must |
know you, Sir Percival though you 40
not know me-.
II am no longer Sir Percival. Titles and |
honors are vain things lam John Percy, |
able seaman. | am called to preach the |
gospel among the sal ors."
by all means. do not ask you TO
abandon your vocation. | have just heard |
"a ri -lh l a